Fill and steam control valve assembly for steam irons



July 11, 1961 A. G. SWENSON FILL AND STEAM CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY FORSTEAM IRONS Filed April 20, 1959 2 She ats-Sheet 1 Ame A \35 a veMor G.Swanson Arfomgg July 11, 1961 A. G. SWENSON Filed {kpril 20, 1959 FILLAND STEAM CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR STEAM IRONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pie. 2

g /a Z5 Z9 3g g d ma a? J g 24 Z Va 4Z 57 Z 42 i 49 i 43 45 5'4- IZW 45Q 47 47 IhvehfoY Alfred G. Swemsoh b5 His Arfforhgg United States PatentF 2,991,572 FILL AND STEAM CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR STEAM IRONS AlfredG. Swenson, Ontario, Califi, assignor to General Electric Company, acorporation of New York Filed Apr. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 807,692 Claims.(Cl. 38-77) This invention relates to electric flatirons of the typewhich contain a liquid reservoir with valve control means whereby theymay be used either as a steam iron, or a spray iron, or as a dryflatiron. More particularly, the invention is directed to an improvedvalve mechanism affording greater ease and safety of operation when thereservoir is filled with water.

A difficulty heretofore encountered in such irons of the prior art hasoccurred with the presence of scalding water in the reservoir at timeswhen the iron is used for a substantial period as a dry iron. Duringsuch operation, the water in the reservoir gradually becomes heated to atemperature near boiling, and if for any reason the operator should tipthe toe of the iron downwardly, a quantity of this scalding water may beexpelled through the fill opening, by reason of steam pressure whichbuilds up in the reservoir near the heel.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome this priordifliculty by a construction of liquid reservoir type irons having apositive safeguard against inadvertent expulsion of scalding water.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a positive safeguardby a single valve mechanism which normally maintains a pressure sealbetween the fill opening and the liquid reservoir of the iron, but whichcan be intentionally opened by the operator for filling when the iron issafely positioned on its heel rest.

An additional object is to provide such a fill safety valve constructionwhich is suitable for incorporation in electric irons adapted for eitherspraying or steam ironing operations.

A further object is to provide a steam iron in which a fill safety valveand a steam release valve are both operated by a single push buttoncontrol, the fill valve only being opened upon full depression of thecontrol button to its maximum depressed position.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope ofthe invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description takeninconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a horizontal view, partially cut away, of a steam ironembodying the invention, and illustrating in particular the fill safetyvalve of the invention in its open position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, partially cut away, showing thefill and steamvalves both closed, in the normal position for dry ironingoperation, and

FIG. 3 is another enlarged sectional view, similar to FIG. 2, partiallycut away, showing the valve mechanism of the invention in its steamingposition, with the fill port valve closed.

In general the invention, as disclosed in one embodiment, comprises asafety fill valve structure in a steam iron, the fill valve beingeffectively closed at all times except when the iron is on its heel restand the control button is fully depressed for the filling operation.

Patented July 11, 1961 Referring now in greater detail to FIG. 1 of thedrawings, the steam iron, indicated generally at 10, may be seen tocomprise a handle portion 12 having a substantially vertical front postportion 14 which may be formed of moulded plastic having a hollow cavity16 and containing in its upper portion 17 a manually operable controlbutton 18 mounted on a spring yoke member 20, the lower end of whichyoke includes a detent portion 21 bearing upon the upper end of a springloaded valve stem 22, whereby the steam and fill valves may be operatedthrough depression of control button 18. As shown in FIG. 1, the controlbutton 18 is in its fully depressed position, the fill valve 24 is open,being disengaged from valve seat 26, while a steam valve indicatedgenerally at 28 is closed. The control button '18 is held in thisposition by shoulder 29 of button 18 in engagement with shoulder 40 ofhandle post 14. Valve 28 is adapted when open (as shown in FIG. 3) topermit controlled amounts of water to pass from reservoir 36 into flashboiler '37, from whence the generated steam escapes through a steamexhaust port 27 in sole plate 29, as is well known in the art. A flaredfill opening 30, which passes through the front portion 31 of verticalhandle post 14 connects with a fill chamber 32 formed by enclosure wall34 within the cavity 16. As also shown in FIG. 1, with the fill valve 24open, a passageway is completed from fill opening 30 into the liquidreservoir chamber indicated generally at 36, and when the iron 10 isstanding on its heel rest the fill opening 30 is then in a substantiallyhorizontal position and water may readily be introduced into thereservoir chamber 36 simply by pouring a quantity into the flared funnelopening 30. The manner in which the spring loaded steam and fill valvemernlbers cooperate may be better understood by reference to theenlarged drawings of FIGS. 2 and 3.

Reference is now made in detail to FIG. 2 of the drawings, wherein thefill and steam valves are both closed in the condition for dry ironing.The control button 18 is now in its midposition, being held there byshoulder 38 of button 18 in engagement with shoulder 40' of handle post14. In this position the fill valve 24 is closed in pressure-sealedengagement with valve seat 26 of fill chamber 32, being held in thisposition by the upward thrust of coil springs 42 and 43. The lower endof compression spring 42 engages annular shoulder 45 on tubular sleeve52, while spring 43 is compressed between shoulder 45 and an annularrecess 47 in the upper portion of a valve body 44. In turn valve body 44is alfixed to a steam dome 46 by a pressure seal 48. Valve stem 22 isslidably mounted in a tubular valve member 50 which is press fitted intoa tubular shell member 52. An inner spring 54 is disposed within theshell 52in cornpression between the upper end of forcefitted tubularmember 50 and in engagement with a spring retainer 57 which may be agroove in valve stem 22. A stop washer 58 is engaged in a second groove60 on valve stem 22 at a position above fill valve 24--26 as shown inFIG. 2. The opposite end of valve stem 22 carries a valve cleaning rod62 which is adapted to penetrate a small orifice 64 of valve body 44when valve stem 22 is fully depressed (as shown in FIG. 1). Cleaning rod62 is thus adapted to remove any mineral deposits or sediment which mayaccumulate in orifice 64 of valve body 44, and such cleaning operationis automatically performed on those occasions when control button 18 isfully depressed (as shown in FIG. 1) for the purpose of filling theliquid reservoir. In this fully depressed position stop washer 58engages the upper surface of fill valve washer 24, thereby depressingthis valve member against the compression of spring 42 until the fillvalve is opened, as shown in FIG. 1. In the central opcrating positionof control button 18 and valve stem 22, shown. FIG- 2, the tubularvalve. member 50 is firmly seated in valve body 44, holding this valvemember closed under the force of compressed inner spring 54. Furtherdepression of control button 18 from the position shown in FIG. 2 to theposition ofv maximum depression shown in FIG. 1 further compresses innerspring '54 as valve stem 22 slides coaxially downward through tubularvalve member 50, and cleaning rod 62 penetrates valve orifice 64.

Referring now in detail to FIG. 3 of the drawings, the relativepositions of the several valve parts may be seen in the condition foroperation as a steam iron. This condition is achieved by releasingcontrol button 18 from the engagement shown between the shoulders 38 and40, in FIG.'2, whereupon valve stem 22 is urged upwardly through theforce exerted by inner compression spring 54 and outer concentriccompression spring 43 to raise. the tubular valve member 50 apredetermined distance above its valve seat in valve body 44, at thesame time raising control button 18 to its uppermost position as shownin FIG. 3. The compression of spring 43 should, exert a slightly greaterforce upward than spring 42 in order to hold tubular shell '52 in theposition shown in FIG. 3. readily be achieved with identical springs 42and 43 by the simple expedient of compressin-gt-he lower spring 43 to ashorter axial length between shoulder 45 and annular recesses 47. Aretaining shoulder (not shown) may be provided in the upper portion ofthe handle cavity to engage yoke 20 when the control button 18 is,extended to its uppermost position for steam ironing as shown in FIG. 3.

Summarizing the operation of the invention, when the control button 18is in the position shown in FIG. 3, the upper and lower springs 42 and43 are both under compression, and their forces are so balanced asretain the tubular steam valve member '50 at a predetermined heightabove its seat in the steam valve body 44, while the filler valve washer24 is held against its inlet seat 26 tomaintain the fill valve closed.Water from the liquid reservoir 36 then passes through the open valve 44and drips through restricted orifice 64 into the vapor-pressuregenerating chamber 37- from whence the generated live steam passes tosteamexhaust ports (such as 27 in FIG. 1) in a well-known manner asheretofore disclosed in the art. When the control valve 18 is depressedto its first locking position as shownin FIG. 2, the valve stem 22 isforced downwardly until the tubular valve member 50 seats within thevalve body 44 to interrupt the pas: sage of water from reservoir '36 toboiler 37 and thereby stops the generation of steam. In this position,the movable fill valve member 24 remains held in its closed posi-,

tion through the force exerted by upper spring 42, and

any pressure which may build up in reservoir 36 cannot cause expulsionof water through the chamber 32 and from the fill opening 30. When thecontrol button.

18is depressed further, toits extreme downward second locking positionas shown in FIG. 1, the stop washer 58 mounted on valve stem 22 engagesthe movable fill valve member 24, forcing it downwardly against thecompression of spring 42 and thereby opening the fill valve 24 26, andat the same time the valve cleaning rod 60 passes I ironing to dryironing conditions requires less motionand less pressure on the controlbutton, by reason of the fact that the valve cleaning rod is notrequired to be operated during the change'between thesetwoconditions;

This desired differential in spring forces may,

trol button is fully. depressed to thefill position. Lesspressure on thecontrol button in changing from steaming to dry ironing also resultsfrom this structural arrangement wherein the fill valve remains unmovedduring this changeover and is opened only by full depression of thecontrol button to its extreme position.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained, andsince certain changes may be made in theabove construction withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained 'in the. above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

It is to be understood that the invention is applicable to all types ofelectrical-1y heated irons having a liquidcontaining reservoir, and thatit may be employed, for example, in spray type irons whether or not theybe also adapted for steaming operation.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of'the generic and specific features of the invention which,asa matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In an electrically heated flatiron of the type including a liquidreservoir and a vapor pressure generating chamber in liquid flowcommunication with said reservoir, that improvement in liquid fill andflow control means comprising: a liquid flow control valve in the liquidflow path between said reservoir and pressure generating chamber, meansdefining a fill opening and passageway into said reservoir through whichliquid may be introduced, a fill valve within said fill passageway inaxial alignment with said liquid flow control valve, a valve stem andoperating means therefor in axial alignment with and slidable withrespect to said liquid flow control valve and said fill valve, springmeans interconnecting said valve stem with said valves, said springmeans normally biasing said fill valve to. a closed position and saidliquid flow control valve to an open position, and means for openingsaid fill valve upon an increment of axial motion beyond the axialmotionrequired to compress said spring means to force said liquid flowcontrol valve closed.

2. The combinationof claim 1 including a first releasable locking meansassociated with said valvestem operating means for retaining said valvestern in a partially depressed position, against the tension of saidspring means, whereby both said fill valve and said liquid control valvemay be maintained intheir closed conditions.

3. The combination of claim 1 including a second releasable lockingmeans associated with said valve stem operating means for retaining saidvalve stem in a fully depressed position, against the tension of saidspring means, whereby said fill valve may bemaintaiued in its opencondition and said liquid control valve in its closed condition.

4. In an electrically heated iron including a liquid containingreservoir having a fill opening and a liquid escape, opening to a vaporpressure generating chamber, the combination comprising, a manuallyoperable push button selectively depressable to a plurality .ofoperative positions,.an axially slidable valve stem, means connectingsaid push button to one end of said axially slidable valve stem, a firstvalve member coaxially movable with respect to said valve stem andengageable with a first valve seat to effectively closesaid fillopening, asecond valve member resiliently movable with respect to saidvalve stem and engageable witha second valve seat to effectively closesaid liquid escape opening, a first spring means normally holding saidfirstvalve member in closed relation to said first valve seatand saidsecond valve member in open relation to saidsecond valve seat, a secondspring means associated with said valvestem and said second valvemember, whereby said second valve member may be moved to closedengagement with said second valve seat when said push button and valvestem are depressed to a predetermined position, and means on said valvestem engageable with said first valve member, whereby said first valvemay be opened by further depression of said push button and said valvestem.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which the force exerted by said firstspring means is sufficiently great to efiectively maintain closurebetween said first valve member and said first valve seat when said pushbutton control is depressed to a position at which said second valvemember is in closed engagement with said second valve seat.

6. The combination of claim 4 in which the combined forces of said firstand second spring means are suificient to disengage said second valvemember from said second valve seat when said push button control isreleased.

7. The combination of claim 4 in which said first spring means comprisesa pair of coaxial helical springs in compression, the first spring ofsaid pair positioned between said fill valve member and a collar infixed axial relation to said second valve member, and the second springof said pair positioned between said collar and the valve seat of saidsecond valve.

8. The combination of claim 7 including a third helical springcomprising said second spring means, coaxial with both springs of saidfirst spring means, and positioned in compression between said secondvalve member and a spring retaining means on said valve stem.

9. In an electrically heated steam iron including a vapor pressuregenerating chamber and a liquid containing reservoir with means defininga liquid fill opening into said reservoir and a liquid escape openingcommunicating from said reservoir to said vapor pressure generatingchamber, the combination comprising a fill valve and a separate liquidescape valve, an axially movable valve stem having a valve cleaning rodafiixed to one end thereof, a fill closure valve member substantiallyconcentric with said valve stem and axially movable with respectthereto, a first valve seat engageable with said fill closure valvemember, collar means on said valve stem and engageable with said fillclosure valve member to elfectively open said fill valve when said valvestem is moved axially in one direction to a limit position whereat saidcleaning rod penetrates said liquid escape valve, a substantiallycylindrical tubular member slidably encompassing a portion of said valvestem, a helical spring substantially coaxial with said valve stem andenclosed within said tubular member, a substantially cylindrical liquidcontrol valve member rigidly atfixed to said tubular member at one endthereof and slidably enclosing the end of said valve stem containingsaid cleaning rod, means on said valve stem for holding said enclosedhelical spring in compression between said stem and said liquid controlvalve member, a pair of coaxial helical springs surrounding said tubularmember and said valve stem, and spring retaining means afiixed to saidtubular member externally thereof and in engagement with adjacent endsof both springs of said pair, whereby one spring of said pair ismaintained in compression between said fill valve member and saidretaining means, while the other of said springs is maintained incompression between said retaining means and a fixed seat portion ofsaid liquid control valve.

10. The combination of claim 9 in which one spring of said pair ofsprings exerts a greater force in compression than the force exerted bythe other spring of said pair, whereby said valve stem is normallybiased to maintain said liquid control valve at a predetermined openposition while normally maintaining said fill valve in a closedposition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,892,272 Finlayson et al. June 30, 1959

